Self-unloading apparatus for cargo carriers



L. D.- SMITH Dec. 31, I929.

SELF UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR CARGO CARRIERS Filed Jan. 24, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet @zzrezzZar: cai bemmz'zfz ii W WW I L. D. SMITH Dec. 31, 1929.

SELF UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR CARGO CARRIERS Filed Jan. 24, 1927 3 Sheets-$heet L. D. SMITH Dec. 31, 1929.

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Patented Dec. 31, 1929 1 7 UNETED'S TATES PATET OFFKIE LEATHEM D. SMITH, OF STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN SELF-UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR CARGO CARRIERS Application filed January 24, 1927. Serial No. 162,972.

This invention relates to an apparatus apparatus, and still retain all of the addriven by suitable power, for removing bulk vantages of wide tunnel design, free backcargo from the hold of a vessel or other cargo ward traverse of the scraper, low center of carrier, and particularly one operating upon gravity, high stability, and full hold capacthe principle of providing a sub-cargo tunity; and to this end, one feature of the in- 5 nel or tunnels the roofs of which are de- .vention consists in constructing a tunnel of signed to direct the flow of the subdivided the kind described with a vertical drop-ofi' material to the sides of the tunnels, whence at the lower end of each bottom incline which it may flow inwardly over suitably inclined develops an external angle that can not stop bottom members into the tunnels themselves the flow of material; these drop-ofls being and thereby be brought within reach of conspaced apart by about the width of the scrapveyors in the form of scrapers, to which is er so that they constitute the lateral confines imparted, first, a rearward movement during of a restricted scraper receiving portion exwhich a scraper rides over the inclined slopes tending upwardly, from the bottom, a dis- 15 of the material within a tunnel, and then a tance ample to provide a trough that will forward movement toward a point of disconfine residual material after the main bulk charge, during which the scraper digs into has been removed, but not of suflicient verthe material and removes a portion thereof tical dimensions to restrict the width of the from the tunnnel. tunnel at those levels where greater space is Serious difiiculty has been experienced in needed for the accommodation of the Wider maintaining adequate flow of the subdivided portions of the scraper or its drag-line atmaterial over the inclined bottom members of tachments, or high enough to encroach upon the hold, because of the internal angle bethe space needed for free backward traverse tween the incline and the bottom of the tunof the scraper. nel, and particularly with some classes of sub- Another disadvantage encountered in subdivided material. such as damp sand, coal cargo unloading equipment of the kind here dust, and the like. Moreover, owing to the described has arisen from the form of scraper necessity of maintaining headroom within used in the tunnel, namely, a straight sided the tunnel for rearward traverse of the scrapor box-shaped scraper; such disadvantage or, and particularly beneath the inclined roof arising from interference between the sides of the tunnel, and the importance of mainof the tunnel and those portions of the scraptaining low vertical dimension of the tuner sides lying in the rear of the forward cutnel, avoiding encroachment upon the cargo ting end, the inefiiciency of the rear portion space in the hold. and keeping a low center of the scraper in cutting down into the mate- 3 of stability, it is desirable to make the overrial and preventing spillage from beneath 35 all width of the tunnel materially greater the scraper, and other conditions; and anthan that of the scraper. which in turn imother object of the present invention is to pairs the efficiency of the scraper in cleaning adapt an improved form of scraper for use 40 up at the sides of the tunnel and necessitates in such a situatlon as that presented by the resort to some expedient, such as diverting present invention. Accordingly, another feathe scraper bv the use of a chain bridling, or ture of the invention consists in combining listing the ship first to one side and then the with a sub-cargo unloading tunnel, constructother, in order to clean up the residual maed and equipped as described, a scraper for 45 terial after the main body thereof has been the purposes stated, which is in approximately removed. the form of a crescent, horse-shoe, or the like,

One object of the present invention is to with the back or closed end narrower than meet both these difiiculties and insure both a the front open digging end, thereby permitproper flow ot material and a thorough cleanting the use of a larger scraper without losing 50 up of material by a normal straight line travthe necessary clearance between the scraper erse of the scraper, in a sub-cargo unloading and the walls of the tunnel, and at the same across the also can be accommodated with a greatly reduced clearance between the inclined roof and the sloping piles of material lying at their natural angles of repose within the tunnel.

Oth8l advantages of combining a scraper of the kind described with the particular tunnel construction, are thatit reduces the vertical height necessary between the top of the :hopper into which -'the scraper dumps and the top of the conveyor-belt upon which the material falls and by which it is removed'from the hold; also'it facilitates the riding of the scraper up into the 'V-shaped space between the two slopes of'materialand into the clearance spacebeneath the roof, on the rearward or idling traverse ofthe scraper.

Another disadvantage insub-cargo unloading apparatus as constructed prior to the present invention was that incident to the placing of the fair-lead roller-in the forward end of the tunnel and the design'of'the trolley and cable fastening in a manner to permit the dead standing cable'to pass'underneath the fair-lead roller, the moving-cable rested uponsaid roller while the scraperascended the incline leading to the dumping hopper, with the result that the turning of theroller was interfered with and excessive wear was produced upon both thezroller'and the'cable. Also in such earlier designs the back-haul cable leading from=the windingdrum to the rear end of the hold, traversed the side-slopes of the vessel bottom, thereby-taking up valuable space required for water ballast. The present invention improves the unloading apparatus with respect to both of the lastnamed conditions, first, by disposing the cable leads in the manner hereinafter described, and, secondly, by utilizing the space-beneath the center slope of the hull bottom as the passageway for-the cables.

Finally, the preesnt invention provides improvements in the I-beam trolleytrack heretofore employed in unloading apparatus of the kind herein described, to-wit, by riveting to the upper inclined faces of'the lower flanges of the track, metal treads which level up the track, maintain the trolley wheels in vertical position, with their axes substantially horizontal, and also serve as splicing members oints between the structural I- beams which are-arranged end to end in developing the trolley track. The invention also provides an improved form of spring bufier at either end of the I-beam trolley track, consisting of angle members, each having one plate riveted to a face of the vertical web of the I-beam track, and its other plate extending transversely therefrom, and one or more spring-resisted-plungers slidably supported in the said transverse plates and in position to receive the impact of the trolley as it reachesthe end of its travel in either direction.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred construction of the several portions ofthe invention are shown by way of illustration Figure 1 is an elevation of a cargo vessel partly in central longitudinal section, and having the inventionapplied thereto.

Figure 2 is a section on an enlargedscale, taken in the plane indicated by the line-2"-I2" of Figure 1, the scraper in one ofthe tunnels being in the position which it assumes during its forward or working pass,-andithat in the other tunnel being in-the position which it assumes during its rearward or idling-pass,

Figures 3, 4, and 5 are, respectively, a top plan view, afront elevation, and a side-elevation of a scraper constructed for cooperation with the tunnel; and

Figures 6 and 7 are, respectively, a side and a front elevation of oneof the buffers which receives the trolley at the ends-of its travel upon the trolley rail.

1 represents the hull of a vessel having a cargo hold 2 extending-for so much-of the length thereof as may be available, and pref erably the full beam dimension of the hull. In the hold 2 are constructed two or more conveyor tunnels 3, with oppositely inclined roof members that direct the-materialieither downwardly to the space 4 between the tunnels whence it is directed by center slope 5, into the tunnels 3; or to the outer sides of said tunnels, whence it is directed'by inclines 6 into the respective tunnels.

\Vithin each tunnel 3 is mounted an I-beam trolley track 7'for a trolley 8 that supports the return loop 9 of the back haul cable 10. Also located in each tunnel is a scraper 11 lifted and traversed rearwardly by the said back haul cable 10 and drawn :forwardly through means of the forward haul cable 12. The cables 10 and 12 lead over suitable guide pulleys to a winding engine 13, the forward cable 12 passing beneath pulley 14, thence around pulley 15, and past deflecting pulley 16 to said engine; and the back haul cable 10 passing around pulley 17 at the rear end of the tunnel, thence beneath pulley 18 (see Figs. 1 and 2), thence around horizontal pulley 19 in the space beneath the center slope 5, and thence through the said center slope to the forward end of the hold, where it is suitably guided to the winding engine. \Vinding engine 13 will be of any approved type, adapted to draw the cable first in one direction and then in the other. When drawn forwardly, the trolley is arrested by a bumper 20, after which the return loop 9 lengthens while the scraper passes up the incline 21 and deposits its load into the hopper 22 and when the cable is drawn in the opposite direction, the return loop is taken up until the scraper again approaches the trolley and is lifted by the shortening of said loop, after which the trolley and scraper together proceed rearwardly. The scraper, by reason of its inclined rear end, rides up over the material until the rear end of the tunnel is reached, after which the winding engine is reversed and the scraper moves forwardly along the valley defined by the angularly reposing masses, digging its way into the masses on either side, and picking up a new scraperfull for advancement to the dumping hopper. From the dumping hopper the material is caught by an endless belt conveyor 23 which elevates the material either over the side of the vessel or onto a second conveyor 24 which delivers it to a desired point of discharge.

As shown in Figure 2, each tunnel has its inclined side walls terminated short of the ,bottom of the tunnel, so that instead of forming with the bottom a re-entrant or internal angle that would tend to impede the inward flow of subdivided material, each inclined side terminates in a. drop-off 26 that favors the inflow of material. A further result of this construction that the tunnel is provided with a trough 25 defined by relatively low vertcial walls 26 that cause the lower part of the tunnel to substantially fit the scraper 11, and thus adapt the latter to clean up all the material on its last passage, and avoid leaving any material behind, or the neccssity of displacing the scraper laterally to one side or the other in picking up the remnant material. Each drop-off or side wall 26 is of such height that it terminates short of the upper portion of the scraper, where, for structural considerations, the scraper widens out.

The scraper employed in the unloading apparatus, as will be seen more clearly upon reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5, is approximately crescent shaped with its open front digging end 27 preferably terminating in deflecting shoes 28, braced by an arch or yoke 29, and relatively low in vertical dimension in order that when the scraper is passing rearwardly and riding up over the mass of material, this wider portion of the scraper will not extend high enough to interfere with the inclined roof members of the tunnel. The scraper may be provided with an intermediate band or framing 30 extending from one front side around the rear to the other side; with a downwardly and forwardly inclined rear portion 31 below the said frame; and with an upwardly and forwardly inclined portion 32 above the said frame, thereby creating a large retaining capacity for the rear portion of the scraper, without interfering with the inclined roof members since the portion of the scraper which is of greatest vertical dimension is that portion which is of materially reduced transverse dimension, so that it is adapted to be accommodated largely in the valley between the oppositely inclined material beds upon which the scraper is operating, and rides beneath the apex of the overhead space.

The hauling cables are attached at suitable points 33 on either side of the forward open end, while a pulley 34, centered at the rear end, receives the return loop 9 already referred to. p

The trolley track 7 is preferably constructed of I-beam sections with leveling treads 35 riveted to the upper inclined faces of the bottom flanges, thereby establishing a level track for the wheels 36 of the trolley 8; and these leveling treads may be usefully employed for splicing the joints between the I-beam members used in building the track.

The buffers 20, located at either end of the trolley track 7, are constructed, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, with angle plates 37 riveted to the web of the I-beam track, and have plates 38 integral therewith and standing out horizontally therefrom; and in each of these outstanding plates 38, on either side of the track 7, are upper and lower buffer heads 39 with rearwardly extending shanks 4O slidingly mounted in said plates 38, but projected normally forward, resiliently, through means of springs 41.

I claim:

1. A self unloading vessel provided with a sub-cargo unloading tunnel, with a scraper adapted to traverse said tunnel and remove material therefrom, and with a side incline directing the flow of material into the path of the scraper; said tunnel being constructed with a trough-like bottom in which thescraper approximately fits, transversely, and providing a drop-off between the lower ex tremity of the incline and the said bottom; the said tunnel materially increasing in width above the said trough-like bottom.

2. In a self unloading vessel, a sub-cargo unloading tunnel having a trough-like bottom, means on either side of said tunnel for delivering subdivided material to the tunnel and permitting the material to assume angles of repose defining a substantially V-shaped space within the tunnel, and a scraper hav- ???Xf means causing it to traverse said V- shaped space, said scraper being constructed to substantially fit the trough-like bottom f the turnel the forward cud of the su'aper but decreasing in width rearwardly from its fitting end and thereby adapting it to ride in the V-shaped space.

3. In a self unloading vessel, a sub-cargo unloading tunnel having a trou h-like bottom, means on either side of said tunnel for delivering subdivided materialto the tunnel and permitting the material to assume angles of repose defining a substantially V-shaped space within the tunnel, and a scraper havmerzns causing it to traverse said V- shaped space; said scraper being constructed to substantially fit the trough-like bottom of the tunnel at the forward end of the scraper but decreasing in width rearwardly from its fitting end and thereby adapting it to ride in the V-shaped space; and said scraper increasing in vertical dimension rearward] y from the said forward fitting end.

4. In a self unloading vessel, sub-cargo unloading tunnel having a trough-like bottom, means on either side of said tunnel for delivering subdivided material to the tunnel and permitting the material to assume angles of repose defining a substantially V-shaped space within the tunnel, and a scraper having means causing it to traverse said V shaped space; said scraper being constructed to substantially fit the trough-like bottom of the tunnel at the forward end of the scraper but decreasing in width rearwardly from its fitting end and thereby adapting it to ride in the V-shaped space; and said scraper being also constructed with collecting shoes at its said forward fitting end through means of which said forward end is made to fit the trough-like bottom of the tunnel.

5. In a self unloading vessel, a sub-cargo unloading tunnel having a trough-like bottom, means on either side of said tunnel for delivering subdivided material to the tunnel and permitting the material to assume angles of repose defining a substantially V- shaped space within the tunnel and a scraper having means causing it to traverse said V- shaped space; said scraper being constructed to substantially fit the trough-like bottom of the tunnel at the forward end of the scraper but decreasin in width rearwardly from said end and thereby adapting it to ride in the V-shaped space; said tunnel being constructed with a trolley track; said means for causing the scraper to traverse the tunnel comprising a trolley on said track and a flexible connector including a return loop connecting the scraper with the trolley and which, when contracted, lifts the scraper by its rear portion to the upper portion of the tunnel; said tunnel being further provided with means for arresting the travel of the trolley on the track in advance of the attainment of the scraper of its full forward travel; and said return loop being extensible to permit the scraper to continue its forward travel to the dumping point after the trolley is arrested.

6. A self unloading vessel, comprising a pair of parallel tunnels located in the hold with a center slope between them for direct- 

